AT least one senior Cambodian enforcement official unabashedly supports the drug

law and its money laundering provisions: Pol Gen Skadavy M Ly Roun, Chief

of Interpol's Anti-Drug Unit.

"Drug traffickers are very strong," he said. "They abuse us - the

police, innocent people - and the international community," he said. "We

need this law to fight them and defend ourselves."

General Skadavy denied that the law will encourage police to commit human rights

abuses. "This law was proposed by the UNDCP, and they did not object [to the

possibility of abuse]."

"If our staff is given training, we will not abuse this law," he added.

"We can't let Cambodia become a terrorist or Mafia country," he said. "This

law will enable [Interpol ] to become a member of the international community."

General Skadavy complained that the absence of monitoring capabilities and trained

staff leave him unable to estimate the extent of the Kingdom's laundering problem.

"It costs $5 million to get a bank license, yet many banks don't have any activities

. . . Cambodia has a big money laundering problem."